Stepping stones to adolescent asthma self-management: dealing with ups and downs

Each category and phase identified in the theory reflects the complex interplay of adolescents' backgrounds, prior experiences, and psychosocial influences within their social environments. Adolescents voiced challenges and asthma self-management strategies such as symptom monitoring, medication adherence, communication, and adapting activities based on asthma status. This substantive theory offers valuable insight that can inform future research and practical applications for public health nurses and healthcare providers related to acquiring self-management behaviors.